Hong Kong parents shouldn’t delay flu treatment for children, expert says, warning influenza season may reach summer
- Professor David Hui says prolonged mask mandate during Covid-19 to blame for longer flu season, with regular three-month period set to spill into summer
- Delay to treatment for young children can increase risk of fatal complications, he warns, urging vaccination and swift action over infections
David Hui Shu-cheong, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said on Sunday that the patterns of seasonal influenza activity had changed due to the city’s prolonged mask mandate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It no longer just comes between January and March and then goes away,” he said in a televised interview. “Now, [the scale of infection] remains quite small but continuous.”
The city has recorded at least 405 related deaths in the flu season so far, which included four children, with severe cases hitting new highs.
Last week, a six-year-old boy died after contracting influenza A and developing complications from brain lesions.
Six patients aged 58 to 94 were also infected at Sha Tin Hospital’s geriatric ward, with one in a severe condition due to an existing illness.
